I'm A Celebrity star Jack Osbourne's life off-screen: Ex-wife, addiction battle and grieving for dad Ozzy
Jack is braving the jungle this yearI’m A Celebrity star Jack Osbourne, the son of Sharon and the late Ozzy Osbourne, made his jungle debut alongside an all-star cast this November.
Jack’s trip Down Under comes almost four months after the death of his Black Sabbath frontman dad. Speaking to The Sun before heading into camp, Jack admitted conversations about his recent grief will inevitably come up with his campmates.
“I think things will naturally come up, and I’m not necessarily going to stray away from too many things,” he said. “But, you know, obviously, there are certain things I probably won’t discuss on a nationally televised show that’s filmed 24/7.”
Who is Jack Osbourne?
Jack is the youngest child and only son of Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne.
The star rocketed to fame back in the early noughties thanks to the smash hit MTV reality series, The Osbournes. The series followed the lives of Ozzy, Sharon, Jack and his sister, Kelly, primarily in their Beverly Hills home.
The Osbournes was considered a pioneering reality TV series, which ushered in an era of shows focusing on the home lives of celebrities.
Following the conclusion of The Osbournes in 2005, Jack went on to appear in a string of shows, including Jack Osbourne: Adrenaline Junkie, You Don’t Know Jack and Jack Osbourne: Fearless.
In 2011, Jack competed on Dancing with the Stars, the US version of Strictly Come Dancing, finishing in third place.
What does Jack Osbourne do for a living?
He has established himself as a TV presenter after becoming a household name on the family reality show.
Between 2016 and 2018, Jack and Ozzy starred in a reality show for the History Channel, Ozzy & Jack’s World Detour, which saw them visit various historical sites and learn more about the quirkier side of history.
Since then, he has hosted a range of TV shows centred around the supernatural and the unexplained. One series, The Osbournes: I Want to Believe, saw Jack trying to convince his skeptical parents of the existence of various paranormal phenomena.
Jack penned his memoir, 21 Years Gone, so he is an author alongside television as well.
Jack Osbourne, Minnie the dog, and the death hoax
One infamous episode of the family reality show divided fans – the one where Jack Osbourne reportedly ‘kills’ their dog Minnie.
The episode appeared to feature the teen killing the pooch but in the end it was revealed to be a hoax. Not only was the dog cruelty joke a cause of complaint with viewers, but how the ‘reality’ show episode appeared staged.
In the episode Jack tells his dad Ozzy Osbourne that he accidentally killed their pet dog Minnie. Ozzy is distraught over the news, upset by losing the family dog. Only to find out later on that it wasn’t true at all and Minnie was perfectly fine.
It’s gone down in history as one of the most memorable episodes and is still discussed on social media today by long-term fans.
On discussing one of Jack’s scenes on the show, one Reddit user brought up the episode on the thread earlier this year.
They wrote: “Did they ever cover the episode where Minnie passed away? That part of the episode always makes me cry, seeing Ozzy shaking so bad being on the phone and then him crying when he goes to tell Sharon.”
How old is Jack Osbourne?
Jack was born on November 8, 1985, in London, England. This makes him 40 years old.
But Jack Osbourne’s accent is always something that interests fans. He spent his first six years in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, before his parents relocated to LA. However, a year later, they moved back to Buckinghamshire.
When he was 11, Jack and his family moved once again, this time to Beverly Hills. Because of this, his accent is a mix between American-British.
In 2012, he became a naturalised citizen of the US.
What is Jack Osbourne’s illness?
In June 2012, Jack revealed that he had been diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the protective myelin sheath of nerves in the brain and spinal cord. This disrupts nerve signals and can cause a wide range of issues, including vision problems, numbness or tingling, fatigue, problems with balance and/or coordination, and muscle weakness or spasms. There is no cure for MS at present, although there are treatments that can help manage symptoms and modify the disease’s course.
Jack received his diagnosis after losing 60% of his vision in his right eye at the time.
Speaking to HELLO! at the time, he admitted that at first he’d been “angry and upset” about his diagnosis. However, he had since changed his attitude to one of “adapt and overcome”. He did admit the timing hadn’t been ideal, however. “The timing was so bad. I’d just had a baby, work was going great – I kept thinking, why now?” he said.
Jack inject Copaxone medication daily for his MS, so I’m A Celebrity viewers can expect that to continue during his jungle stint.
He also uses vitamin supplements and hormone replacement therapy, and has even travelled to Europe for stem cell therapy. Jack has also made lifestyle changes to help combat the disease, including minimising stress, altering his diet, and exercising regularly.
ITV’s compulsory medical will have also ensured that he is fit to take part in the show.
Jack’s addiction battle
Jack battled addiction from a very young age. At the age of 17, he went to rehab after getting addicted to OxyContin. OxyContin is the brand name for a prescription opioid painkiller. The Mayo Clinic advises people take between 10 to 30 milligrams every four hours as needed. Jack was taking 400 milligrams a day, mixing the painkiller with a bottle of bourbon.
He went to a rehabilitation facility for 60 days in April 2003. However, due to being a minor, he couldn’t detox at a drug rehab. Instead he, was sent to a psych ward with other kids “who were in various stages of mental health crises”.
“Once I got into the routine of treatment, I enjoyed it,” he told Big Think in 2024. “I liked it because I was being treated like a kid again: I had chores, responsibilities, and a really strict schedule.”
Jack left rehab sober, and has remained sober for more than two decades since.
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How many children has Jack Osbourne got?
Jack is the proud father of four children.
The star welcomed his first child, a daughter, Pearl Clementine, in April 2012, with his then-girlfriend, Lisa Stelly.
After tying the knot later that year, they next welcomed another daughter, Andy Rose, in June 2015.
In February 2018, they had their third daughter, Minnie Theodora.
However, in May 2018, Jack and Lisa announced their separation, with their divorce finalised in March 2019.
In December 2021, Jack got engaged to interior designer Aree Gearhart. They welcomed their first child together, a daughter, Maple Artemis, in July 2022. In September 2023, Jack and Aree secretly got married with an intimate ceremony in California.
Jack Osbourne split from ex-wife Lisa Stelly after several years together
Jack Osbourne and his ex-wife Lisa Stelly met met in a club. The star reportedly asked for her number but she denied him, however, she changed her mind later as they eventually began dating in 2011.
Lisa is an actress and her notable credits include Passed Over, Green Day: 21 Guns and Green Day: Last of the American Girls.
They became engaged four months later and tied the knot in Hawaii.
It wasn’t to last as in 2018 the pair announced their separation, two months after their third child was born.
At the time they said: “First and foremost, we absolutely still love each other.
Our family is the most important thing in our lives, and we tried everything we could for many years to make this work. What’s best for our family right now is that we separate lovingly, and remain best friends who are committed to raising our children together.”
However, after the divorce they appeared to remain on good terms. Lisa even paid tribute to Jack’s dad Ozzy after his death earlier this year. She shared photos from family holidays, from times from inside Ozzy and Sharon’s family home and time spent together.
She wrote “Love you, Papa” and added Ozzy’s 1995 single See You On The Other Side on the post.
Marriage to interior designer Aree Gearhart
Fast-forward a few years later, and Jack became engaged to Aree Gearhart who is an interior designer in 2021.
A year later and they welcomed a daughter together, Maple Artemis, before they tied the knot in a private ceremony in California in September 2023.
He gushed about his wife on Instagram at the time: “Something really cool happened. I married the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. All in.”
Aree commented on the post: “Snuck away and married my best friend last week. I am honoured to be your wife. all in forever.”
Jack Osbourne’s net worth
According to various outlets, Jack has a net worth of $15 million, which is approximately £11.4 million.
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Jack on losing dad Ozzy
In July, Jack sadly lost his father, Ozzy. The Black Sabbath frontman was 76 years old. He had been struggling with various health issues for some time prior to his passing.
In August, Jack paid tribute to Ozzy with a video on his Instagram. “I haven’t really wanted to post anything since the passing of my father. My heart has hurt too much. I’m gonna keep this short because he certainly hated long rambling speeches,” he said.
“He was so many things to so many people, but I was so lucky and blessed to be apart of a very small group that got to call him Dad. My heart is full of so much sadness and sorrow, but also so much love and gratitude.
“I got 14,501 days with that man and I know that is such a blessing. I think this quote best describes my father. Hunter S. Thompson once said: ‘Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body… but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming: ‘Wow! What a ride!’
“That was my dad. He lived and he lived his life fully. I love you, Dad.”
Jack talks I’m A Celebrity stint
Before heading into the jungle, Jack has admitted that he’s not the biggest fan of bugs, but as a seasoned climber, he doesn’t seem to have a fear of heights, and he has been hailed by one expert as the series’ “secret threat”!
“I definitely had to think about doing this programme. It’s an absolute commitment,” he told ITV. “But the real reason why it is popular is people sit at home saying: ‘Could I do that?’ So I think a lot of why I’ve said yes is the intrigue and how would I survive that? I am very nervous though!”
He then went on, saying: “I do hope I can make my family proud. It’s absolutely going to be hard leaving them behind. I have got lots of kids, my wife, and my family still in the wake of my dad passing. It is going to be difficult, that is for sure.”
